The design team of the year 2007 award this year went to Chris Bangle and his design team from BMW Group. This highest distinction of the renowned red dot design awards was thereby conferred to the design department of a German company. Issued annually since 1988, the award honours design teams that set standards through continual design innovation. Among the former recipients are LG Electronics, adidas, Pininfarina, Nokia, Apple, Siemens, and frogdesign. The BMW Group team will be honoured at the red dot award: product design 2007 awards ceremony, to take place on 25 June 2007 at the Aalto Theater in Essen. There, Professor Wolf D. Prix, architect, founder, and president of Coop Himmelb(l)au will confer the award to the team of laureates.
Design is a main factor for economic success, especially in the automobile industry. Its tasks are not simple: capture the spirit of the times without being too accommodating; be innovative while meeting technical requirements such as safety and environmental standards; and satisfy the desire of end users to both identify and distinguish themselves through the vehicle. Thus, the responsibility that automobile design bears for the economic success of a car, brand, or even for entire economies is immense.
"In the past years, BMW Group Design under the direction of Chris Bangle has succeeded to sustainably strengthen the brands BMW, Mini, Rolls Royce, and BMW Motorrad," explains Professor Dr. Peter Zec, initiator of the red dot design award and president of Icsid, an international umbrella organisation of industrial designers. Thanks to Bangle and his team, each brand - BMW, MINI, and Rolls Royce - today has its own, unmistakable profile and authenticity. After a rocky road to success marked by hot debates, the team can now lay claim to having significantly shaped car design of the early 21st century.
The special exhibition in the red dot design museum Under the title "BMW Group Design", the design team of the year will present itself with an exhibition in the red dot design museum on the premises of the world cultural heritage "Zeche Zollverein" from 26 June to 23 July 2007. Parallel to that, all prize-winning products of the competition will be displayed in the special exhibition "Design on stage - winners red dot award: product design 2007".
Red Dot Design Award: https://www.dexigner.com/directory/detail/3454